Malibu replacement

[Bob]

Hard to imagine you picking the non-GM vehicle in any comparison, but I do see how the Malibu Maxx could at least be competitive here.

[kevm14]

I mentioned the Mazda today. She actually expressed that she wants an American brand. I didn't dig too much into it but I think it has something to do with maintenance costs. I admitted I feel more comfortable with a Malibu Maxx than a Mazda. I do know that Mazda doesn't rank as a top reliable Japanese brand, whatever that means.

I drove her Malibu to CT today. I can't remember the last time I drove that car such a long way. I have to say, other than some tall gearing making hill climbs in OD a little annoying, it's really adequate. Nothing it does is bad. But nothing it does is good, either. There's just enough damping and spring rate to not feel boaty, but it's not sporty. The steering ratio is reasonably quick but the turn in is fairly lazy (tires play a role here). It has a V6 and has just enough power and torque, but it never feels quick. It gets reasonable mileage, but not stellar. Ice cold A/C (did need 2 recharges). Passenger and trunk room seems pretty impressively optimized for the mere 3,000-3,100 lbs it weighs. It's not ugly but it doesn't look exciting, either.

I'd rather not drive it but Jamie has no issues with any of the things I've mentioned, except the rust on the body. Which is why I thought the Olds was worth pursuing. But she also knows it doesn't make sense to go through the trouble of replacing the car for a lateral move like that.

[kevm14]

Here's something else that's a little alarming. One of the medium size crossovers might be a practical choice. But that's not happening. The Malibu Maxx actually has similar characteristics, where the passenger space is fairly generous, with a modest cargo area. It may be homely but at least it's not a stupid jacked up crossover.

[Adam]

Family cars with an 8200 rpm redline are....not family cars.

I don't understand.

[Adam]

How about a ford Taurus wagon? They made it through 2004, and if you find one with the duratec v6, you get 200hp and an unreasonable number of camshafts (4).

[Bob]

So many good childhood memories of Taurus wagons. My family had two because of course you need to immediately dispose of them after 100k miles.

[Bob]

I feel like no matter how practical a midsize crossover is, I will refuse to buy one out of principle.

[kevm14]

How about a ford Taurus wagon? They made it through 2004, and if you find one with the duratec v6, you get 200hp and an unreasonable number of camshafts (4).

Those seem to have some pretty serious rust issues. And it's not the kind of car you bust your ass to get a southern one, because it's still a Taurus wagon, even if it's clean.

[Bob]

I'm not sure where the belief that American cars are cheaper to maintain came from. Maybe in the old days, parts were cheaper for American cars. Now I think parts for high volume Japanese cars are just as cheap as high volume American cars.

When you look at lowest TCO for new cars, the list is mostly Japanese, although there are a couple GM vehicles on there: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012 ... /index.htm I'm sure a big factor here is depreciation. I will say that my Civic Si was pretty cheap to own over the 4 years I owned it ($250/yr in depreciation and low fuel and repair costs). The Prius has also been cheap to operate so far and has not had so much as a hiccup in the first 20k miles (not that would expect it to, but hopefully this is a good omen).

[kevm14]

True, but I will say even in cases where you can buy a new Honda (or VW TDI) and drive it for 2 years and recoup almost 100% of what you paid, you still have a scenario where $20-$25k is tied up all the time. I'd still rather own older, higher mileage stuff. And for that, I think I am much better off with American brands.